DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a co-worker who is late to work almost daily. Two or three times a week, the co-worker makes herself even later by stopping to pick up coffee or breakfast sandwiches.
She calls the office while driving to pick up the items, to see if anyone would want her to get anything, with the expectation that she wishes to be repaid despite this being an effort to apologize for being late.
I'm just curious, if I am ever running late myself, which would be more appropriate: to be late and empty-handed, or to be even later with a snack in hand?
GENTLE READER: Your question, even if facetious, raises a genuine issue: To whom is an apology due from a late co-worker? Her colleagues, including yourself, may feel wronged, either because their own work -- or workload -- may suffer in consequence, or because it is unfair that standards of timeliness are not applied uniformly. Or they may not care, and appreciate the catering.
But it is the business that is being harmed, and therefore it is the boss to whom the co-worker first owes an apology. It is also the boss to whom you and your colleagues can take their complaints. One assumes that the boss would rather have a laborer than a latte, free or otherwise.
Huh? She calls to pick them things up and the coworkers don't think they have to pay because she is late? Wow.
That statement leads me to believe that the LW is more bothered by having to pay for what she believes is an "apology" than the co worker being late.
Yeah. 2 seperate issues. And, if she is late, that is up to the boss to decide he/she is bothered by that or not. Apparently not. And, not ever job has the same status. Some people have more leewayto come later and stay later or vice versa or are salaried or whatever. It isn't the business of the coworker to judge that.
When someone is chronically late, it becomes increasingly bothersome for everyone having to take up the slack. People begin to get resentful.
If management doesn't deal with it, the work environment will become hostile.
And that is NEVER good for business.
As for the sandwiches, if it's a peace offering, you don't ask to for reimbursement.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
When someone is chronically late, it becomes increasingly bothersome for everyone having to take up the slack. People begin to get resentful.
If management doesn't deal with it, the work environment will become hostile.
And that is NEVER good for business.
As for the sandwiches, if it's a peace offering, you don't ask to for reimbursement.
There is no indication it is a "peace offering". She just called to see if they want something. That isn't a peace offering. They might wish to view it as such but it isn't.
When someone is chronically late, it becomes increasingly bothersome for everyone having to take up the slack. People begin to get resentful.
If management doesn't deal with it, the work environment will become hostile.
And that is NEVER good for business.
As for the sandwiches, if it's a peace offering, you don't ask to for reimbursement.
There is no indication it is a "peace offering". She just called to see if they want something. That isn't a peace offering. They might wish to view it as such but it isn't.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I had a coworker who did this. She was late a few times a week and she would come in with donuts or McDonald's to make up for it. She never asked for money, it was very much a peace offering, but still annoying because we would have rather her just come in and do her job without the big production.
I laughed at this. Because I am late every day and I brought donuts this morning. But I do not expect anyone to pay me for the donuts.
And before anyone says anything about my habitual tardiness, it is accepted and overlooked because I am almost always the last person to leave the office.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
I had an employee who would come in and go to work about 20 minutes before his shift started. I called him Lurly.
He would come to me about 20 minutes before the end of his shift and say "I came in a lil'early, can I leave a lil'early".
And I would let him go almost every single time.
He did his job and he did it well, without any argument or drama. He was one of the best employees.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Do I want anything? Sure, can you pick me up a blueberry "On Time" muffin and a Venti Mocha "I will leave home on time from now on" Latte? That would be greaaaaaat.
I'm late often times because the traffic is unpredictable. Most employers in larger cities expect this. It's no big deal around here.
Exactly. If you have salaried job and are not missing a meeting I don't see what the big deal is about being in at a certain time. I have to get in my 8 am because I have to leave promptly at 5pm for daycare pick up. My other co-workers float in and float out. Not a big deal.
I know I worked different types of jobs. Shift work is not the same beast office work is.
In my jobs, if your shift started at 7, you were to be there, clocked in, and working at 7. We got docked 15 minutes pay for being a minute late.
That really adds up.
If we came in late, our reasons didn't matter very much. We were met with "guess you should have left home sooner".
But. At the end of the day, be it in a carpet mill, sample company, convenient store or restaurant, we could clock out and didn't have anything about work to worry about till the next day.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Do I want anything? Sure, can you pick me up a blueberry "On Time" muffin and a Venti Mocha "I will leave home on time from now on" Latte? That would be greaaaaaat.
You are very wise.
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The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
I'm late often times because the traffic is unpredictable. Most employers in larger cities expect this. It's no big deal around here.
Exactly. If you have salaried job and are not missing a meeting I don't see what the big deal is about being in at a certain time. I have to get in my 8 am because I have to leave promptly at 5pm for daycare pick up. My other co-workers float in and float out. Not a big deal.
I have worked jobs where being more than 5 minutes late would get your attendance card marked. Yes, we had attendance cards like little kids. Anything 5 minutes and over and your card was marked. 3 instances of tardiness in 3 months was a write up. That's once a month for 3 months giving you a write up for attendance issues. Salaried and hourly folks - same treatment.
Be appreciative of what you have. There is so much worse out there.
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Out of all the lies I have told, "just kidding" is my favorite !
I'd rather a coworker be on time than regularly being late and bringing donuts as an apology. Occasional tardiness (accident on the freeway or a blown tire), or as with Lawyerlady where she works later to compensate, or where it's not strictly "shift work", is fine. But if it's shift work and the employee is expected to be there on time, like everyone else, he/she should be.
